My Midnight Daystar
by Aurora Umbra
Summary: Writing a song takes alot of work. Writing it before a concert- well, that's just more. A chaptered story about a chaotic day and night for a gelert singer.
1. Introduction

Aurora: I do not own Neopets!   
Joan: You own me.   
Aurora: Uhh... yeah, that's true. Oh, and just to let you all know, the chapters are short because they were originally meant to be shown in the Neopian Times... 

My Midnight Daystar

It was a starry night. The clear sky had not a single trace of clouds in them. The stars were twinkling, winking at each other, in the dark, velvet sky. Lupus, the constellation representing Lupes, was glowing, next to Kreludor, content with company. And it was on this particular night that a pale green Gelert was laying on the front lawn of a mansion, laying on her back, looking at the sky, whispering words… 

And the next day, she was just waking up from a restless night. For some strange reason, she felt like she missed something and was trying to remember what it was. Angry for no reason, and still half asleep, she threw her pillow at the wall of the large room. It slid down and landed at a heap on the floor. Then, a white Gelert in a white maid's dress with an apron on stood in the doorway. She eyed the pillow before speaking.   
"Joan, breakfast is served."   
"Not hungry," Joan, the pale Gelert, mumbled. "I would rather stay in bed and wait until the sun is down."   
"C'mon, hon, you have a concert tonight. You did request to spend the afternoon practicing on stage…."   
"Oh, alright, Marie," she growled, and pushed her covers aside, slid off the four-poster bed, and slipped a robe over her night clothes.   
"Joan, you're not wearing your slippers."   
"I don't care."   
"You'll get cold."   
"I don't care."   
"Then you'll be going without shoes all day?"   
"Yeah. Brings out my inner personality." Joan walked past the maid, and the maid reluctantly followed. 

The mansion was absolutely huge. There were two marble staircases leading up to the same floor, curving toward the wall on each side. Down below was a large room with a chandelier, and many other rooms branching off of it. Joan walked down the right-hand staircase and walked into the dining room. There was a long and large table, made from mahogany wood, a single seat at each end, and an elegant vase of freshly picked flowers as the centerpiece. Joan sighed heavily and sat at the very end, the end that was the farthest away from the front door of the mansion. A Kougra butler set a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, and an assortment of other breakfast items in front of her, along with a cup and a pitcher of milk, and a bowl of oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, and off to the side were some fresh slices of smoked cheese. She licked her lips and found her fork, then speared three pieces of smoked cheese and ate them.   
"I thought you were not hungry, Joan," the maid said at her side. Joan just shrugged.   
"I like this kind of cheese, that's all. Where is Pebbles?" she asked, mouth full with cheese, and a grape. Just then, a little blue Gathow came galloping into the room, meowing loudly, and jumped onto the table.   
"Shoo, Pebbles!" the maid cried. "Get off the table, you young inconsiderate little beast-"   
"Marie! Don't be speaking like that to poor little Pebbles!" Joan cried, horrified, and turned her attention to 'Pebbles' as the maid fumed, and turned on her heel toward the kitchen. Pebbles walked down the length of the table and sat in the bowl of fruit, and meowed.   
"You cute little thing," Joan said as she leaned forward and kissed her Gathow on the very tip of its nose. "We're going to entertain the crowd tonight, now won't that be fun? They'll see how well you'll always be on my shoulders while I sing…" And then she stuck a spoon into the cup of Kau milk, scooped out some milk, and let Pebbles lap it up while she polished off the eggs, bacon, toast, and the cheese. She coaxed her petpet out of the fruit bowl before reaching for a green apple that she then pocketed before heading back to her room. 

"Now, what should I wear?" Joan mumbled as she scanned her large wardrobe. "A plain tee with blue jeans sounds good, doesn't it, Pebbles?" The response was a meow from her bed.   
"Alrighty, then. How about a black choker? Nah… What about earrings?"   
"Hiiiisssssss."   
"Okay, no earrings. I'm going with street clothes at the concert, then." 

Later, a pale green Gelert with a white t-shirt, too-short blue jeans, and a Gathow over her shoulders was walking on the sidewalk in Neopia Central. Only a few by-passers did not take any notice to a famous singer walking down the street, but at least no news crews knew about it. It took a long time to walk a half a block. Every second, someone was asking Joan for her autograph, or a photo, and she had enough fun with that. After 15 minutes, she ran the rest of the block-and-a-half down to a deli.   
"I… need… to get into… shape!" she gasped for breath as she staggered into the deli. "No more cheese in the morning!"   
"Hello, Joan!" the Kyrii at the cash register said brightly. His nametag showed that he was the manager of the deli. "Having the usual? Today's lunch in the morning? Hahaha!"   
"You know I take it down to the theater with me, Chris."   
"You always order in the morning."   
"I've never seen you away from that register."   
"Hmph. Have you ever considered trying something new?" Chris pressed a couple of buttons on the old-fashioned register, and the cards popped up as "25 NEOPOINTS".   
"25 Neopoints for a ham and smoked cheese sandwich."   
"I can read," Joan said as she pulled out a Neopoint coin, and flipped it toward the manager. He snatched it out of the air with his paw, and dropped it into the drawer of the register, a grin on his face. Another Kyrii, obviously new to his job, walked up to Joan with a paper bag in his hand, and handed it to her.   
"Enjoy… Miss D'Arcy!" he stammered. Chris looked surprised, then smiled, and suddenly broke out into laughter.   
" 'D'Arcy'… Your last name is 'D'ARCY'?! Omigosh, I've never heard that before! Hah hah hah! By golly, Joan D'Arcy comes down here every week and I don't even know her surname-" Then he laughed so hard that no sound was coming out. He banged a fist on the counter, knocking over a jar of toothpicks, his blue fur falling into his eyes. "That has got to be the funniest name I've ever heard of--"   
"Seriously, you don't have to take it that hard!" Joan exclaimed. Chris kept right on laughing, so she walked out as Pebbles hissed.   
Two more large blocks, and she had reached her destination. She ran to the lot across the street, where a large black stage stood. Many Neopet workers were setting up the stage for Joan's concert, later that night. There were the sounds of hammers, something that sounded like a saw, and the buzz of an electric screwdriver. 

Even though she lived in Neopia Central, she was in a sort of a section of the town, and this particular section was like, well, music lovers central. There was always someone performing on the sidewalk, and any new musical-related trends were picked up immediately. The top 20 songs of the week were announced every week, but if someone didn't catch it, they would fall into despair and ask everyone within 10 feet what the list was. In Joan's case, however, she was a singer, and had been known for two years. Not a pop star- she wasn't exactly popular. Not a rock star- she was more a mellow type. She was just a singer. She wrote most of her songs, but there had been times when she sung someone else's song as a cover, or something someone had written for her.   
She reached the lot and walked up the steps onto the stage. A few of the Neopets tipped their hats as she walked across the stage, until she stood in the middle, facing the street, even though the stage was set up at an angle. The sounds of construction stopped.   
"What, you think I'm going to make a speech or something?" She turned on her heel and smiled, a single Wocky whistled a tune, and the sounds returned. She turned around again.   
"This is our seventh concert, Pebbles!" Joan muttered, and Pebbles slid down her shoulder and in to her arms. "This one will be a piece of cake. Mum and Dad would be so proud." She smiled, thinking about her parents. They had encouraged Joan to take singing lessons when she was young, but since they were both away, she was on her own. After her first concert, in which she had sung several songs that she had written, a music album was put out: "Joan LIVE", with a picture of her and Pebbles on the front. Four of her songs were in the top 20, and the CD was a hit on its first month. This was the reason behind the mansion that she owned.   
"Mememememe," she tested her voice. "Who on earth stole my car? Wait, I don't have a car! I have a pretty Gathow called Pebbles!" Pebbles started to purr. "I dunno why in Neopia I said that.... but hey! I'm gonna be on stage! I can almost hear the crowd cheering." Then, Joan closed her eyes and opened them, and she saw a thousand fans in front of the stage, cheering and clapping. There were so many that they were standing in the street, and there were a couple of patrol cars parked nearby, and there were crowd control officers. She let Pebbles jump out of her arms before she raised her arms in the air and shouted at the top of her voice,   
"Thank you! What a wonderful performance by Joan D'Arcy, eh?! And now for her hit single, 'Weewoos Racket'!" She twirled in place. Hundreds of cameras were flashing, and there was one Neopet holding a cell phone in the air… 

"Joan?" a voice behind her said, and the fantasy vanished, and she was returned to reality. She turned around and saw a starry Lupe standing there, with a clipboard in one of its paws.   
"Hi, I'm Sasha," she said, and shook Joan's paw. "I am the manager of the Jackies- you know, that band that plays country? No matter. Anyway, I was hearing you sing that chorus of your song, and well, I thought it was spectacular… So, I was thinking we could work out a deal and record a CD to put out? It won't be live."   
"Um, well, I dunno," Joan said hesitantly. "I'm fine without a manager, really-"   
"Ah, but what are you going to do when you get as popular as Twisted Roses?" the Lupe added.   
"Maybe after the concert tonight?" she asked timidly. "I need to think about it." Sara seemed a little disappointed, but immediately looked cheerful again.   
"Well, then… here's my business card," she said, handing a card to Joan, who inspected it closely before pocketing it.   
"I guess I'll call you tonight," Joan mumbled, and Sasha flashed a smile before walking away. Pebbles growled, and Joan picked him up before jumping off the stage, and walked back home, eating the sandwich on the way. 

_ "Laying there all night,   
Thinking about now,   
The wind brushes my fur. _

A little speck stands   
Apart from the rest,   
A little daystar at twilight. 

It disobeys the rules,   
It has its own ways,   
My little Midnight Daystar. 

For all you know it   
Could be a planet   
Thousands of miles away. 

For all you know it   
Could be a supernova   
That never ends. 

For all you know it   
Could be a parallel   
Universe of our home, 

Or a spaceship... 

It disobeys the rules,   
It has its own ways,   
My little Midnight Daystar."   
--------------------------------------

Aurora: And so, this starts off the first of the Joan Series!  
Joan: You mentioned Twisted Roses. You don't own them either.  
Aurora: Ok... I don't own Neopets and Twisted Roses.  
Joan: Doofus! You have to say it in past tense!  
Aurora: Who wants to bother with that?!  
Joan: Aurora didn't own Twisted Roses and Neopets and she never will! There, I said it for you.  
Aurora: Please review because-  
Joan: She needs tips on her writing skills.  
Aurora: No, Joan... I'm good enough already... I think?  



	2. Arrival

Aurora: Once again, I do not own Neopets!   
Joan: And once again, you own me... and Pebbles... and Matt... and Chaotic Senses-   
Aurora: Enough. Too much information. Gah. x.x 

My Midnight Daystar

Chapter Two

   Joan the pale green Gelert and her blue un-blinking Gathow were walking across the lawn of her mansion, having just walked half a block and ran a block and a half. Joan was going to have a concert that night, and she felt tired from running away from fans. The fans- most Neopets recognized her, and a vast majority of them wanted an autograph or picture. After all, Joan was a singer, and her career had started off with a blast two years ago.   
   As she walked up the steps to the door, she pulled out a key on a lavender ribbon and unlocked the lock before entering. She felt the coolness of the marble floor on her bare paws before walking around the two marble staircases, and walked through the house until she reached the door to the backyard. She pushed the door open and shut it behind her, and trotted onto the grassy lawn.   
   When the mansion had been built, she had asked the construction crew to not put anything in the backyard, and leave it as its grassy and green self. There were a few old trees, and they were large- large enough for the branches to reach out to each other, a distance of 10 meters, and provided a large amount of shade. They were arranged in a sort of a half moon arrangement, so there was a small clearing in the middle, where a small, old bench had been placed. The sunlight filtering through the leaves gave a dappled look to the ground and bench. It was a very peaceful spot. Joan sighed as she plopped down on the bench, and the Gathow, Pebbles, jumped from Joan's arms and curled up into a ball next to her owner. Then, Joan leaned back, clasped her paws behind her head, and looked up.   
   Between the leaves, she could make out a little dot in the sky. It was twinkling, but it was daytime…   
   "_I barely get through / my whole boring day / But I look at the sky. / A little spark stands / Apart from the rest / another moon in the blue…_" she said quietly and slowly, and suddenly realized: Wasn't she up late last night, and she was looking up at the sky, and a star seemed slightly out of place? She had started writing a song at that moment, but in her mind. She must have forgotten it, and was trying to remember it that same morning.   
   She ran back into the mansion and located a pad of paper, and ran back out to the bench. She sat down and pulled out her pen from her pocket, and wrote down what she had just sung. After a moment, she leaned back and looked up at the sky again. Maybe if she finished the song before the concert, she could sing it…? She went back into the house and left the paper and on her bed, Pebbles following her at her heels. She had just lifted her pen when the doorbell rang.   
   "I'll get it for you, Miss D'Arcy!" the butler said as he walked past Joan's room. Joan heard the clicking of the Kougra's claws as he went to answer the door. The front door was opened, and then she heard a familiar voice.   
   "Joan? I'm home… your mother is too."   
   "Dad! Mum!" Joan cried in happiness, and she bolted from her room, down the stairs, and there were two Gelerts standing in the doorway. One of them was a dark blue with whiskers, and the other was a pinkish red, and they were both holding travel bags. Joan ran up and hugged her parents.   
   "Hello, honey," the red Gelert said in a sweet voice. "We're glad to see you, too."   
   "We missed you!" the dark blue Gelert, obviously Joan's father, added.   
   "I'm glad to see you!" Joan said, and she snuggled her nose into her mother's coat. "You've been gone for four months on that mining expedition!"   
   "It was a rather long business job on Mystery Island," her father apologized. "And… I don't remember you being that tall. You've been eating too much smoked cheese."   
   "I like that kind of cheese, that's all," Joan laughed. "Let me show you your rooms; I've decorated them!"

   30 minutes later, her parents were in bed, exhausted from traveling. Joan was a little worried about them overworking, but she wanted to get on with her song. She went up to her room and added two lines for her song. Then, her mind was blank.   
   "Writers block," she mumbled, and glanced at the clock. It was around 5:00 p.m. She had to be at the concert at 8:30, but wanted to be there early to see the stage and crowd. She didn't have much time left. The Gelert growled and went downstairs, into the kitchen.   
   "Joan…? Do you need anything?" The maid asked. Joan went ahead and opened the fridge, grabbed a hunk of smoked cheese, and slammed it down on a cutting board. She found a table-knife and started cutting it into slices.   
   "Joan, I can do that for you. You are the owner of this mansion, anyway."   
   "I'm fine," Joan said as she munched a slice while still cutting. "There has to be a time when I can do things by myself, anyway."   
   "I came here because you couldn't do that back then, you know," Marie replied. "And now you're doing it by yourself..."   
   "Yeah, I know," Joan answered, and she slid the slices onto a plate. "I have writer's block right now. I must have been a spoiled brat back then. Thank you, Marie." Marie looked confused, walked out of the room, and Joan picked up the plate and went back to her own room. Looking out her window, she spotted the little daystar. She heard a pattering of footsteps behind her, and turned to see her dad.   
   "Had a nice rest?" Joan asked, and her father nodded. He walked up next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.   
   "What're you looking at?" he asked, looking out the window. She pointed at the daystar, and he squinted at it.   
   "I don't see it."   
   "It's a daystar, Dad!"   
   "Daystar?" he asked, uncertain.   
   "Yeah, Dad."   
   "But they don't exist, honey." Those words hit Joan with such a shock that felt like plunging into icy water.   
   "Dad… I can see it. It was there an hour ago, it was there last night, it's there now," she said in a worried voice. Her father rubbed his eyes, and peered at the star.   
   "Maybe I was wrong…" he said slowly. "But if it's not there in an hour, I'm convinced that it must be a plane or something." He left the room, leaving Joan feeling very disappointed. She ran over to her bed and plopped down on it. Munching a slice of cheese, she began writing furiously, trying to wear away the writer's block in her mind.

   She was still at it, when she glanced at the clock. 7:30! She had half an hour left! She looked down at her paper, to find lots of lines, and a lot of scribbles. She had no time to memorize all of this, and she had a very rough idea of what it would sound like… Her Gathow Pebbles pattered over to her and meowed loudly. Joan bounced out of bed and pulled sneakers onto her feet, and then hastily folded the song, and pocketed it. She ran downstairs, Pebbles on her heel, and grabbed a helmet off of the coat hanger in the hall.   
   "Dad! Mum! I'm going to the concert!" she yelled as she strapped a helmet on, and a voice in the kitchen said, "Okay honey, we'll be there at around 8:30."   
   She ran out the front door, and grabbed her bike that was on the side of the house. She only used the bike for emergencies; and this was one of them. If it took her forty-five minutes to walk four huge blocks- with the fans following her everywhere, then-   
   Joan cursed loudly, as she discovered the chain on her bicycle to have broken. She kicked the bike, and the chain broke off into two pieces. Feeling like she could kick herself instead, she ran across the lawn, onto the sidewalk, and in the direction of the stage. She ran as fast as she could to the concert, the Gathow running faster, and jumped to perch on her shoulders.   
   She had only gone half a block, when an Aisha, about her age, was riding a motor scooter rode up alongside her, keeping pace with her jogging.   
   "Joan? Is that you?" the Aisha asked.   
   "Yes, it's her- me, and I'm late for my concert!" Joan exclaimed. "I have to be there in half an hour-"   
   "I can give you a lift," the Aisha replied, and they both slowed down.   
   "Really?" Joan asked, and the Aisha nodded. "But I don't have a helmet-"   
   "You're already wearing one."   
   "How can I ever thank you!?" Joan sighed in relief, not caring that she might have looked silly with a helmet on and no bike. She would be there on time! She stepped onto the scooter behind the Aisha and held him around the middle.   
   "Let's go!" he said, and the scooter's engine hummed a little, as it picked up speed.   
   "Aiiieeee!" they screamed in delight as they zoomed down a hill, and other Neopets hurriedly jumped out of the way, only to gawk at them when they realized it was Joan on that scooter.   
   "There it is!" she said, pointing at the stage. Neopets were just starting to pay for their tickets and gather in front of the stage. Some of them were spreading blankets on the grass and setting up beach chairs. Others were making use of the plastic seats already set in front of the stage.

   The Aisha steered the scooter so that they would go on a parkway that would take them backstage. Just as they passed the gates, a security officer Chia ran up to them and blew his whistle. They stopped and got off the scooter.   
   "You don't have a backstage pass! Out!" he yelled, and then his eyes met Joan's. His face turned a lovely shade of pink.   
   "Uh, hello, Miss D'Arcy, I'm sorry, go right ahead," he said, and the Aisha and Joan walked right on ahead, leaving the scooter and helmets by the gate. She sneaked a look at the clock. It was 7:56. She made it in time!   
   "How can I ever thank you?" Joan repeated to the Aisha, who was looking around with interest. "I don't even know your name!" The Aisha faced Joan.   
   "The name's Matt. I'm the lead guitarist for that rock band, 'Chaotic Senses'. But we've broken up… I've been looking for a band to play in." he explained. Joan considered the information for a few minutes, until she had an idea.   
   "Well, when I sing, there is a band playing behind me- the drums, lead guitar, you know. Just recently, a really good idea for a song popped into my mind, and I want a chance to sing it, but the band doesn't know yet. It's not finished," she added. "And of course, getting a chance figure out a new song with me is very hard to come by…"   
   "Oh! You'd like me to help? I'd be honored to!" he exclaimed, grinning. "This is perfect! I've always wanted to do this; I write songs for Chaotic Senses, too." Joan smiled, found a couple of chairs, and an acoustic guitar that was in a corner. They settled in, and Matt strummed a G chord on the guitar. He winced and started tuning it, plucking one string as he fiddled with the tuning knobs.   
   "Sing a G?"   
   "Geeeeee….."   
   "Great, thanks." He strummed it again, and this time, the proper chord came out. He played a few more until he got used to the width of the fret board, and waited while Joan pulled out the song.   
   "Let's see… the first line starts off as '_Laying there all night, / Thinking about now, / The wind brushes my fur._' "   
   "Lying there… all night… thinking' about now…" Matt tried out. "No, wait- Laying there all night, thinking' about… now…" Joan looked at the clock. It was 8:07. She wondered if they could finish the song on time….

------------------------   
_"I barely get through   
My whole boring day   
But I look at the sky. _

A little spark stands   
Apart from the rest,   
Another moon in the blue.

It keeps us all   
Guessing, you don't know   
Where it'll be next, it moves...

For all you know it   
Could be a planet   
Thousands of miles away.

For all you know it   
Could be a supernova   
That never ends.

For all you know it   
Could be a parallel   
Universe of our home,

Or a sun...

It disobeys the rules,   
It has its own ways,   
My little Midnight Daystar."

------------------------

Aurora: That was the second chapter! One more to go!   
Joan: You were complaining when you were editing this one...   
Aurora: ...Well, this one was hard to write.   
Joan: I don't blame you, hahaha.   
Aurora: 0.o? Anyway... review because-   
Joan: She needs feedback before starting on the third chapter!   
Aurora: Eh... yeah.


	3. The Song

Joan the Gelert, her Gathow Pebbles, and Matt the Aisha were all in the backstage of a concert that was going to start soon. They were trying to adjust a new song, and give a tune to it, so Joan may be able to sing it on stage. Things were going well.  
"Ten minutes left!" Matt announced as they were taking a small break. "And we're already two-thirds through the song!" Joan smiled. She was eager to get on stage. She stood, stretched, and walked casually on stage, and took a peek from behind the blue curtain. The lot was definitely packed now. The plastic chairs were being filled quickly. The concert was to start at 8:30, and it was 8:20. She could hardly wait!  
"You'd like to play that guitar on stage, right? Since the song isn't pre-recorded, of course," she asked Matt. Matt nodded eagerly, and his eyes were bright, as he stood next to Joan and peeked at the crowd.  
"The crowd for my old band has never been this big!" he exclaimed. "But we have played more often. I'm used to stage fright."  
"Me too. It's kind of scary, though, when you have it for the first time, isn't it?" Joan replied.  
"Yeah! You just… sort of forget what to sing or play and everything." "It's nerve-wracking." "Hah hah." They pulled away from the curtain and got back to work on the song.

"We're on the last chorus now. This is the part when the chorus is repeated twice, but the second time it's changed." Joan said, consulting her paper. She glanced at Pebbles, who was grooming itself on another chair.  
"Alrighty then! Hmmm…The second half should have a slightly different tune."  
"That's a good idea. We already have the first half down then. Okay, it goes like this: _For all you know it / could be another / Universe, unknowing_."  
"For all you know, it could be, another universe unknowing," he tried, giving it a slightly different change of chords on the guitar.  
"I dunno, it should be something where you go an octave higher for a line or something…"

Joan looked at the clock when it was 8:27.  
"Hey! Look at the time!" she exclaimed, and Matt snapped his head up from looking at the paper. He saw the time, too.  
"It's nearly time!" he said, and looked down at the paper. A strange expression crossed his face.  
"We have one line left."  
"We'll have to improvise on stage!" Joan exclaimed, as she jammed her headset/microphone onto her head and the switch for it onto her belt.  
"When are you going to sing this?"  
"After all my other ones."  
"Alright." Matt looked at Joan in the eye, and shook her paw solemnly. "Good luck, superstar."  
"Thank you," she replied, and the crowd outside started to chant, louder and louder:  
"Joan, Joan, Joan, JOAN, JOAN, _JOAN, JOAN_!" She heard them and went up the steps to the stage, and came out from behind the curtain. The chanting stopped and there was applauding and cheering from the crowd. Joan could just barely hear herself think.  
She was standing before the biggest audience she had ever seen; there must have been over a thousand people and Neopets there. There were so many people that they spilled out onto the street, and there were patrol cars, and even crowd control officers. There were two TV stations filming the concert that would be live on television. She felt scared, but also happy that she was on stage. Then, she happened to look up.  
There were lights mounted on a sort of a bar that went above the stage. They shined into her eyes, but she could make out a little twinkle in the black sky. All of the other stars couldn't be seen, because of the light from the city, but there was just one that stood out.  
"My daystar!" she whispered, suddenly feeling much more confident, and she took center stage.

"Um, hi!" Joan said, and the crowd responded with a loud cheer. Joan waved at them all.  
"Wow, I've never seen a crowd so big! Anyway… Are you guys having fun?!"  
"YESSS!"  
"Alright! Let's get started, then!" Upbeat music started to play from the speakers, and she knew it was the start of her song, "Weewoos Racket". She tapped her foot to the beat, and started singing.

It was 9:30. She was having a great time when she realized she just sang her last song.  
"I think that was the last one," Joan said, and the audience grew quieter. She could feel their disappointment for the end of the show. "But that isn't all!" she laughed, and Pebbles meowed loudly into her microphone.  
"We have a special guest tonight… Let me introduce you to Matt, lead guitarist of Chaotic Senses!" She turned to the end of the stage where she knew Matt would be, and sure enough, he walked up on stage, beaming, holding the guitar as if he was going to play while he walked. The audience was so loud that Joan couldn't hear Pebbles meow into her ear; they knew that Matt and Joan were going to sing a duet! Even more cameras were flashing as Matt stood next to Joan, switching on his own headset.  
"Hi, all!" Matt announced, the crowd screamed, and Joan saw a Usul in front pretend to faint. He strummed the first chord for the song, the signal that it was going to start. Joan quickly signaled to the players behind her not to play along.  
"Laying there all night, thinking about now, the wind brushes my fur." she said softly. "A little speck stands, apart from the rest, a little daystar at twilight." The crowd suddenly fell silent, listening to the new song and Matt playing the guitar.  
"For all you know, it could be a planet thousands of miles away," Matt joined Joan with the chorus, and the crowd cheered. "For all you know, it could be a supernova that never ends…" As they sang, Joan studied the audience. They were baffled, since they didn't know that Joan had been working on a new song.  
She saw someone holding up a cell phone….

"You'll discover something you've never noticed, you'll be looking for more. Be aware, be knowing, wise, kind, you'll see.…" Joan shivered, and saw Matt go tense. They didn't know what to do for the final line! "For all you know, it could be a parallel universe of our home, oh yeah- for all you know, it could be another planet, unknowing." They went into the final third of the song, and into the last chorus. They raised their voices slightly.  
"For all you know, it could be the eye and mind playing tricks… a prophecy…" Matt stopped strumming for a second, and started again, but slower and softer. Their soprano and alto voices blended into the last two lines, higher and lower.  
"It disobeys the rules, it has its own ways…" And Matt paused. He was waiting for Joan to sing the last one.  
"My little Midnight Daystar," she said melodiously.

The applause didn't come right away. There was just a group at the back clapping, then someone whistled, and the whole crowd started clapping, gradually louder. Then, it sounded like someone had turned up the volume- screaming fans, thousands of people cheering, shouting, whooping, applauding, and several of them shouted "Encore! Encore!" Joan and Matt couldn't stop smiling. They posed for a second and went backstage.

"Darling, that was fantastic!" Joan's mother said as she squeezed Joan.  
"Stop it, mum!" Joan exclaimed, her voice muffled. Matt laughed as he tuned the guitar a little more, and looked around the backstage, at all of the wires on the floor. Joan's mother reluctantly let her daughter go.  
"Honey, we didn't know you were that good!"  
"Mum, Dad?" Joan said. "This is Matt."  
"Hi," Matt said. "I am the lead guitarist for Chaotic Senses- well, used to."  
"Hello Matt," Joan's father said as they shook paws. "I'm Mark, and this is my wife, Caroline." Matt twitched all four of his ears.  
"Caroline… that name sounds familiar."  
"Well, you want to come over to my house? If it's okay with your parents, of course…" Joan asked Matt, and he fell silent and looked down, then started to tune the guitar again, although it didn't need it. But when he looked up, a smile was on his face.  
"Sure!" he said, and the four walked the distance home, Joan with Matt's scooter and Matt with the guitar.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Matt asked Joan. They were both in her room, eating smoked cheese and grapes. Matt had claimed he was lactose intolerant, so he didn't touch the cheese. Joan claimed that the cheese didn't have lactose in it, but he refused anyway. Joan was lying on the bed with her paws clasped behind her head, and her feet were on her pillow. At Matt's question, she sat up and faced him.  
"You acted really weird after the concert, when I asked you if you'd like to come over," Joan observed. "What was that all about?" Matt looked at the grape in his paws, and his stalk ears drooped a little.  
"My… mum and dad… well, I'm an orphan…" he muttered, and Joan's jaw dropped.  
"You're kidding!" she exclaimed, and saw the look on Matt's face. "Oh wait, I'm sorry if I insulted you-"  
"It's okay! It's okay… I was just surprised that you didn't go all soft around me and say, 'Oh, my goodness, I'm sooo sorry'," he hurriedly explained. "I hate it when people do that."  
"But isn't that their way of showing sympathy?"  
"They've been doing it since I, what, four?" Matt seemed a little annoyed at the thought, so Joan decided to change the subject.

"You know… that song that we did, Midnight Daystar… I saw a daystar, and so that inspired me," Joan said, and Matt suddenly looked interested.  
"You've seen that daystar?"  
"You did?" They both laughed.  
"It's seems like everyone I point it out to can't see it!" Matt cried, and Joan laughed.  
"I know! My dad couldn't see it at all."  
"Maybe it's everyone's eyesight."  
"Maybe."

End of Part Three

--------------------------------------

_"No one ever notices,  
Except those who lead  
A simple, thoughtful way_

_Pay attention to the  
Simple things everyone  
Sees, know your fantasies_

_You'll discover something  
You've never noticed,  
You'll be looking for more,_

_Be aware,  
Know,  
Wise,  
Kind,  
You'll see.…"_

--------------------------------------

Aurora: Chapter Three! Actually, it's shorter than I thought it would be, so I'll be writing chapter four now. ;D  
Joan: You're hopeless.  
Aurora: I also want to say that the lyrics that I've been posting every chapter are copyrighted to me. shakes finger Don't you dare steal them!  
Joan: Still hopeless!


End file.
